The Korea Entertainment Producers Association (KEPA) has expressed its stance regarding the termination of the exclusive contract with the group NewJeans. On the 6th, KEPA stated, “The recent controversy over NewJeans’ contract termination with their agency has sent shockwaves through the entire Korean popular culture and arts industry. K-pop, our pride and a globally recognized cultural asset, is being shaken to its roots due to the NewJeans situation. The KEPA cannot overlook this any longer and is expressing its strong position.”
KEPA explained that an exclusive contract is the fruition of mutual trust and promise. They criticized NewJeans for holding a press conference to unilaterally announce the contract termination, which they consider a highly irresponsible act that ignores legal standards and industry practices.
Moreover, KEPA raised concerns over allegations of “tampering” involving NewJeans, where agency insiders are suspected of colluding with third parties to induce contract termination. They argued that if these suspicions are true, it betrays the cooperative relationship built over a long period between the agency and the artist.
KEPA urged NewJeans to retract their baseless claims and return to their initial intentions to continue normal activities. They requested a thorough investigation into potential illegal activities such as tampering.
Previously, on the 28th of last month, NewJeans held an emergency press conference in Seoul, declaring the termination of their contract with Ador. They claimed that Ador and HYBE were at fault, which nullified any penalty fees or legal actions. Following this, on the 5th, Ador filed a lawsuit to confirm the validity of the exclusive contract, stating their intention to preserve the healthy trust relationship that has fostered the growth of the K-pop industry and the broader Korean popular culture industry with the court’s help.